10th Day Christmas Past Question and Story

Posted by on Dec 21, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016 | 14 comments

On the 10th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question:  What gift was a little community in Blanding, Utah given? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. “His Christmas Gift” “It was during the very early days of the settlement of Blanding, Utah and the little community was dependent for their water supply on the stream that came down the ditch from the nearby mountain.  On the 23rd and 24th of December the water failed to appear and we were under the necessity of hunting small patches of snow, or of carrying water from West Water Springs down in the canyon half a mile away. The comfort and progress of the town was first in the mind of Walter C. Lyman, from the time he was shown the place in a wonderful dream, eight years before.  He was eager and watchful for the well-being of the town.  On the morning of the 24th of December, Walter took his shovel and started off up the ditch to see what had become of the little stream of water up on which we were depending.  He took no lunch with him, having no notion of how far he might go or how long he would be gone, but the farther he went the more interesting the hunt became.  He knew there was water up there somewhere if it had not all frozen solid and he figured that he might find it in the next rod ahead. He walked on and on.  He had brought no extra coat, having left on the spur of the moment, and when it began to snow he still would not turn back when at every step forward he might find the illusive water.  So he went on mile after mile, and late in the day, soaked and hungry, but warmed with hope at the thought of getting the water down to the needy little community, he found where an ice-jam clogged the ditch and turned the stream off into the brush. He shoveled away all the stoppage of ice, cleaned out the ditch below and got the water headed again for the town.  Coming down the ditch he scanned every foot of it for any other places where the stream might be hindered, or stopped again, and paused to remove obstructions here and there, leaving the channel clear and open all the way.  It was after dark Christmas Eve when he got home, wet and weary, but exulting in the fact of his having found and removed the trouble; yet he was fearful that in all that long distance the stream might choke up again with floating ice, or the ice which might form in it as it came slowly along. As he lay thinking about...

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9th Day Christmas Past Winner and Answer

Posted by on Dec 21, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016 |

Answer 9th Day Christmas Past: Elder Perry had a very memorable postwar Christmas with orphans overseas by helping to open an orphanage and planning a Christmas for them. The children, to show their thanks, learned how to sing, “You Are My Sunshine” in English. Congrats to 9th Day drawing winner, Margaret Davies, who won a Nauvoo Temple sunstone & moonstone pillar and a package of 10 hand carved olive wood ornaments from Israel! Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com within 30 days to arrange for how to receive your...

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9th Day Christmas Past Question and Story

Posted by on Dec 20, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016 | 17 comments

On the 9th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question:  Why did Elder Perry enjoy hearing “You Are My Sunshine” on Christmas Eve? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. Elder Perry – Sunshine in an Orphanage Many years ago I found myself as part of occupation troops in a foreign land just at the end of a terrible war. It was not long after we arrived in this country before we developed a great love and concern for the people we were there to watch over. This was especially true of the young people, the children. Many times we would find them scavenging in our garbage cans looking for food to keep themselves alive. This deeply touched us, and we wanted to make a more substantial contribution to them. We raised what money we could and found a local religious group that was willing to open an orphanage for them. We donated as much time as possible to improve the facilities and provided them with the operating funds they needed. As Christmas approached, we sent letters home to our families asking that, instead of sending gifts to us, they send toys for the children in the orphanage. The response of our families was overwhelming! Toys arrived daily from our homes. We found a tree suitable to use as a Christmas tree, but we had no traditional decorations for it. A lady taught us how to make little birds by folding square pieces of paper, and these became the major part of the decorations for the tree. The presents were wrapped mostly in discarded Stars and Stripes newspapers. I’ll never forget Christmas Eve with those children. I am sure many of them had never seen a Christmas tree in their lives. We sang Christmas carols to them, but we weren’t very good at this. They had been rehearsing for weeks so they could sing a song to us in English. It was not a Christmas carol, but it was beautiful. They sang “You Are My Sunshine.” We were deeply touched with the spirit of the children that Christmas Eve, especially as they opened the presents sent from our families. I suppose some of them had not had a toy in many, many years. This is a Christmas I’ll never forget because we were learning the true meaning of this great holiday season. The greatest joy we can receive in life is giving—to bring into the life of someone else a little joy and happiness. (Taken from an article in the December 1988 New Era.)...

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8th Day Christmas Past Winner and Answer

Posted by on Dec 20, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016 |

Answer 8th Day Christmas Past:  Santa brought candy and lots of other things, but the best gift was that nothing bad had happened to their Papa who made it back safely for Christmas. Congrats to 8th Day drawing winner, Bonnie Cottam, who won an olive wood Holy Family hand carving from Israel and a Joseph and Hyrum Smith ornament!  Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com within 30 days to arrange for how to receive your prize. Thank you everyone for your insights on both FB and our blog.  The Story still available on yesterday’s Question website blog...

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8th Day Christmas Past Question and Story

Posted by on Dec 19, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016 | 13 comments

On the 8th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question:  What did Santa bring to a pioneer family on Christmas Eve besides candy? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. “My Most Exciting Christmas” During the Christmas season of 1909, my sister, Clea and I were doing our usual Christmas wishing from a Sears catalog.  Living 8 miles north of Roosevelt, Utah, we were unable to browse in a store and coax for this and that, prior to Christmas, so everything Santa brought was a happy surprise.  The fascinating colored pictures of candy held us spellbound.  Santa always brought the most surprising candy, gumdrops of all colors, licorice sticks, or horehound.  It wouldn’t seem like Christmas without a six-inch red, green, or yellow candy caramel, clear as crystal, tucked into the tow of our stocking. “I wonder what kind of candy Santa will bring this year, Mama?” “If Papa doesn’t come home before Christmas, we won’t get any Christmas candy at all,” was the shocking answer.  Why should that make any difference?  “Santa will come even if Papa doesn’t,” I reminded Mama patiently. Mother’s face was very worried as she carefully explained to us.  “Of course he will come.  I wrote him a letter telling him where we are, and that you had been good girls, but I didn’t tell him to bring candy.” Now that was more shocking than ever.  How could a mother be so forgetful as to not mention candy?  “Why?” “Papa was going to do that.  Now, I’m afraid he didn’t find Santa in Soldier Summit.  Maybe Papa thinks I saw Santa, but you know we haven’t been to a store to leave a “Santa” letter, but never mind, I’ll make us some.” I remember hoping that Santa would be smart enough to know what we wanted even if he had not been told, and although it didn’t make sense, I got the idea at last.  No Papa, no fancy candy.  Mama’s honey taffy and fudge couldn’t take the place of the fancy kind that came only at Christmas.  Oh, if Papa would only hurry home – he must get home before Christmas. But candy wasn’t Mother’s worry.  Her husband was in danger – might not return at all.  He freighted from Soldier Summit along Avintiquin Creek to the laterite mine on the Strawberry River near Theodore (now Duchesne).  A road of sorts had been  hacked out with ax and scraper.  The narrow dugways were extremely dangerous if an unexpected rain or snowstorm came.  Mama’s imagination pictured him with frozen hands and feet, or pinned beneath an overturned wagon after it had slid down the mountain side.  Such things had happened to other freighters.  Basin pioneers took these chances in order to earn a...

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7th Day Christmas Past Winner and Answer

Posted by on Dec 19, 2016 in Christmas Past 2016 |

Answer 7th Day Christmas Past:  To President Benson “Jingle Bells” was not only a song it was a thrilling experience. To him, there was nothing quite like an exhilarating ride with a good team drawing a sleigh. Congrats to 7th Day drawing winner, Loraine LeFevre, who won a nativity charm bracelet with Nauvoo Temple star window ornament!  Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com within 30 days to arrange for how to receive your prize. Thank you everyone for your insights on both FB and our blog.  The Story still available on yesterday’s Question website blog...

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